Jacob Zuma Fast Facts

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Updated 2109 GMT (0509 HKT) March 18, 2018

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

South African President Jacob Zuma was in office for nearly a decade. As head of the party that led South Africa out of apartheid, Zuma won elections in 2009 and 2014. But he has also been dogged by criminal investigations and corruption allegations. Dubbed the "Teflon" President, Zuma survived a half dozen no-confidence votes before finally resigning on February 14.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

In 1991, Zuma casts a vote for the ANC's new national executive. The ANC is the African National Congress, the political party that has led South Africa since the end of apartheid. For many years, the ANC and other opposition parties were banned in South Africa.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma campaigns with ANC leader Nelson Mandela, left, during South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994. Mandela was elected President. Zuma became the ANC's national chairman later that year.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

President Mandela is flanked by Zuma and Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, left, at the ANC's National Congress in 1997. At this conference, Mandela announced that he would be stepping down as president of the ANC and leaving it to Mbeki. Zuma would become the party's deputy president. After Mbeki was elected to be the country's President in 1999, Zuma was appointed as his deputy.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

In 2005, a South African court found businessman Schabir Shaik guilty of bribing Zuma between 1995 and 2002. Zuma, seen here replying to a question in Parliament, was fired by President Mbaki over his alleged involvement in the bribery scandal.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma leaves the Johannesburg High Court in February 2006. He had been charged with raping a young family friend; he claimed the sex was consensual. Zuma was acquitted a few months later.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma is congratulated by his attorney after his acquittal in May 2006.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma gives an interview the day after his acquittal. He apologized to the nation and launched a bid for the presidency.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma, right, is congratulated by Mbeki after defeating him to become the new president of the ANC in December 2007.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

From left, Zuma, Mandela and Mbeki arrive on stage for Mandela's 90th birthday celebration in August 2008.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma sings and dances after a speech at a rally in February 2009. Zuma was elected as South Africa's President a couple of months later.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma takes an oath during his inauguration in May 2009.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addresses journalists next to Zuma in August 2009. The two met in Durban, South Africa.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma addresses the United Nations General Assembly in September 2009.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma signs a blackboard in October 2009, pledging South Africa's support for a global campaign to ensure education for all the world's children.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma sings and dances with his new wife, Thobeka Mabhija, at their wedding ceremony in January 2010. It was the fifth marriage for the polygamous Zuma.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma inspects the troops at a ceremonial welcome in London in March 2010.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma looks at a chess set with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II during his state visit in 2010. The chess set had been given to the Queen by Nelson Mandela in 1996.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma and FIFA President Sepp Blatter address the crowd before the opening match of the 2010 World Cup. South Africa was the first African country to host the tournament.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma, left, and Sky Sports commentator Chris Kamara play a charity soccer match in Cape Town, South Africa, in July 2010.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma shakes hands with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner at a G20 Summit in Seoul, South Korea, in November 2010.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma addresses dignitaries during the opening ceremony of an International Olympic Committee session in July 2011. The IOC was meeting to decide which city would host the 2018 Winter Games.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma greets American civil-rights activist Jesse Jackson at a ceremony in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in January 2012.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma toasts his 70th birthday in April 2012.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma looks at Cyril Ramaphosa after Ramaphosa was elected deputy president of the ANC in December 2012. Zuma was re-elected as the party's president.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma sings during a send-off ceremony for former President Nelson Mandela, who died in December 2013 at the age of 95.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma unveils a giant statue of Mandela at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa, in December 2013.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma and his wife Thobeka Mabhija, right, pose with then Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, as they meet in Pretoria in April 2015.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

US President Barack Obama jokes with Zuma during a New York luncheon hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in September 2015.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma poses for a photo following a television interview in October 2015.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma and Obama shake hands before a group photo at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, in September 2016. In November of that year, a report was published that contained corruption allegations against Zuma. Zuma denied any wrongdoing. He also avoided a vote of no-confidence in Parliament. It was the third time in less than a year that Zuma had faced such a vote.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma talks on his cell phone during a G20 session in Hamburg, Germany, in July 2017. A month later, he survived an ouster attempt in his country's National Assembly. A motion of no-confidence was defeated by 198 votes to 177.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma attends an African Union summit in January 2018.

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Photos:Jacob Zuma's embattled political career

Zuma speaks to the nation at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on February 14. He announced his resignation during the nationally televised address. "No life should be lost in my name and also the ANC should never be divided in my name. I have therefore come to the decision to resign as President of the Republic with immediate effect."

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Here's a look at the life of Jacob Zuma, former president of South Africa.

1962 - Becomes a member of the Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the military arm of the ANC.

1963 - Arrested with other Spear of the Nation members and convicted of conspiring to overthrow the South African government. Zuma spends 10 years in prison on Robben Island.

1975 - Flees South Africa and lives in exile for 15 years in Swaziland, Mozambique, Zambia and several other African countries, while continuing his work with the ANC.

February 1990 - President F. W. de Klerk lifts the ban on the ANC and other opposition groups. Zuma returns to South Africa.

1990 - At the ANC's first Regional Congress in KwaZulu-Natal province, Zuma is elected chairperson of the Southern Natal region and takes a leading role in fighting violence in the region. This results in peace accords between the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party.

June 2, 2005 - A South African court finds businessman Schabir Shaik guilty of bribing Zuma between 1995 and 2002.

June 14, 2005 - President Thabo Mbeki fires Zuma over his alleged involvement in the Shaik bribery scandal.

December 6, 2005 - Charged with raping a young female family friend; he claims the sex was consensual. He is acquitted on May 8, 2006.

September 5, 2006 - Brought to trial and charged with corruption for allegedly accepting bribes from French arms company Thint Holdings.

September 20, 2006 - The corruption charges are dismissed by the court after numerous extensions by prosecutors to build the state's case.

2007-2017 - President of the ANC.

December 28, 2007 - New corruption charges are brought against Zuma, along with counts of racketeering and money laundering.

May 1, 2008 - Named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People.

September 12, 2008 - Corruption charges against Zuma are tossed out by the court a second time, this time on procedural grounds.

January 12, 2009 - The Supreme Court of Appeal overturns the lower court ruling that threw out corruption charges against Zuma, stating that the ruling was riddled with errors. This new ruling means that the National Prosecuting Authority can press new charges against Zuma.

April 6, 2009 - Prosecutors drop all corruption charges against Zuma.

April 26, 2009- The ANC wins a majority of votes in South African elections, ensuring that Zuma will be the country's next president.

April 29, 2016 - A South African court rules that prosecutors acted "irrationally" when they decided to drop more than 700 corruption and fraud charges against Zuma in 2009. The court says the decision should be set aside and reviewed. It remains up to prosecutors whether to reinstate the charges.

November 2, 2016 - A report containing corruption allegations against Zuma is published. The 355-page "State of Capture" report contains allegations, and in some instances evidence, of cronyism, questionable business deals and ministerial appointments, and other possible large-scale corruption at the very top of government. Zuma denies any wrongdoing.

November 10, 2016 - Zuma avoids a vote of no-confidence in parliament, with 214 votes against the motion, 126 for and 58 abstentions. It's the third time Zuma has faced such a vote in less than a year. The Democratic Alliance brought the motion of no confidence to parliament in an attempt to remove the president amid charges of corruption.

November 29, 2016 - Members of the ANC say that Zuma will not step down as president, despite calls from people within his own party to resign.

August 8, 2017 - A motion of no-confidence in Zuma is defeated by 198 votes to 177. Even though the ballot is held in parliament by secret vote, the opposition is not able to persuade enough members of Zuma's ruling ANC to side with them.

October 13, 2017 - South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal upholds an April 2016 ruling by the High Court to reinstate corruption charges against Zuma.